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Cosplay Spotlight: Tayla Barter

“I started cosplaying in 2012. The first time I saw a cosplayer in South Africa was at one of our local conventions in 2011 and I thought it was so amazing. The following year, I decided I wanted to give it a try so I put together a costume from stuff I had in my cupboard. I had such a great time at the convention that I’ve been cosplaying ever since.

I create my costumes because most costumes of characters I cosplay can’t be bought online. I’m also very particular about my costumes and I like having control over how they look. I thoroughly enjoy the making part of my cosplay outfits.

I suppose anyone who makes their own cosplays will have unique costumes, even if several people are cosplaying the same outfit. They will never look exactly same since everyone interprets things differently. That’s one of the great things about cosplay.

I love working with EVA foam and worbla. EVA foam is my go to material for most anything. It’s very easy to use and I like the finish I get with it but I love worbla because it is so versatile. It is a bit expensive and it’s not readily available to me but if I ever get a chance to use it, I jump on it.

I work at a large steel table: one side dedicated to sewing and the other dedicated to crafts. I have 2 sets of shelves behind me that I keep all my cosplay stuff on.

I often work on multiple costumes at once, so when I get tired of one, I just work on another one that isn’t frustrating me.

Each piece can take anywhere from 2 – 20 hours depending on its complexity.

My favourite outfits so far are probably Katarina and Syndra. I think they are the most flattering ones I have. And I really love cosplaying from League of Legends. There’s such a variety of characters that the list is just endless.

It was 2 local cosplayers who inspired me to start cosplaying, Freltana Cosplay. The fact that they made their own armor blew me away and I thought it was amazing. They played a big part in my wanting to start cosplaying. One of my main role models is Kamui Cosplay. Her armor work is really amazing and she has been able to make cosplaying into her career, which is mind blowing.

The best tip I can give is not to get despondent and that the best resource is the internet! Most cosplayers learn everything they know from the internet and there are so many resources available now so use it to your advantage.

Thank you again for your time, Tayla and thanks for stopping by! If you want to stay updated on more Gamer Compatible reviews, you can follow us on Twitter: @gamercompatible or on Facebook: @gamercompatible.